Raglan Arms, Llandenny housing plans opposed by residents

An application for full planning permission for the conversion of the Raglan Arms to create two homes, and outline permission for a further two houses on the site, is being considered by planners. 

But 43 objections have already been lodged while the applicants have submitted a survey of households in Llandenny, from 2016, showing 44 per cent or responses indicated people never visit the pub, though 46 per cent said a pub or restaurant in the village was “very important”. 

Conservative Senedd Member for South East Wales, and former Monmouthshire county councillor, Laura Anne Jones said she has met with campaigners opposed to the plans and is supporting their campaign. 

She said: “The Raglan Arms is much more than a pub. It is a community lifeline and a focal point for social gatherings, employment, and local identity. Losing it would leave Llandenny, Llandenny Walks, and Treworgan without a place for residents to meet and socialise.” 

The pub closed in October 2022 with a post on its Facebook page at the time stating the operators were unsure if it would be able to reopen and cited staff shortages, the cost of living leading to a drop in trade and the death of one of the owners for the decision. 

Plans for housing have been in place since at least September 2023 when an ecologocial site survey was carried out for conversion to two houses and to use the car park as a building plot. 

Cwmbran-based Mito Developments submitted the planning application to Monmouthshire County Council in October this year. 

Penny Jones, Conservative county councillor for Raglan, said: “The Raglan Arms has been such an important community asset which was at the heart of the village. As there are no nearby facilities every effort must be made to ensure that the community retains this facility if at all possible.” 

Comments submitted to the council claim there is “no evidence” the current owners have tried to reopen the pub as a going concern or marketed it “at a fair price” and highlight council planning policies to protect community facilities. 

Residents, with Laura Anne Jones MS, outside the pub that closed two years ago.

One resident told the council the loss of the pub would be “massive” for the village between Usk and Raglan on the A449. 

They said: “The building and pub were created in the 1850’s to the serve the newly opened Llandenny station on the Coleford to Pontypool branch line.  

“For around 170 years there has been a pub on the Raglan Arms site seeing the community and it would be a massive loss if this application was approved, thus stopping it ever being a thriving village pub again.” 

READ MORE: Village pub offered for sale via £10 raffle ticket

Among documents submitted as part of the application are the results of questionnaires sent to 45 homes in Llandenny between July 1 and 9, 2016. 

People were asked, among other questions, to tick how often they visited the pub. That showed no responses to “daily” with the highest of those who used it being 10, or 22 per cent, ticking the “occasionally” box. The largest number of responses, 20 or 44 per cent, were against the “not at all” box. 

The same survey showed 21 answers marked it is “very important” to have a pub/restaurant in Llandenny which was 46 per cent. 

The official deadline to comment on the application passed on November 4 but it is still under consideration by the planners who will have to make a recommendation for the planning committee.